South Asian shipbreaking workers prepare for recycling boom

Participants at a regional shipbreaking meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 24 and 25 August, discussed the implications of an expected boom in demand for shipbreaking over the coming decade. The meeting was part of a project, supported by the Dutch trade union confederation FNV, to support organizing campaigns in shipbreaking yards. Shipbreaking is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and the project seeks to improve conditions by organizing unions.

About 20 participants from five IndustriALL Global Union affiliates participated: ASSRGWA and SEWA from the Alang shipyards and Bhavnagar downstream industry in India, NTUF from the Gadani yards in Pakistan, and BMCGTWF and BMF from Chittagong in Bangladesh.

The shipbreaking industry will undergo dramatic changes in the near future. The Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) is expected to be ratified by Bangladesh next year, a huge step forward to fulfilling requirements for its entry into force.

Shipyards will then have two years to upgrade their facilities to meet HKC standards, involving significant overhauls to the yards. Demand for shipbreaking is expected to grow substantially during this period, due to a number of factors, including a growth in the world commercial fleet. As these ships approach the end of their operational lifespan, the need for recycling will increase. The shift to new fuels and new technologies, as well as legal requirements around carbon emissions, mean that the expected lifespan of a ship is getting shorter.

The growth in demand, combined with the need to meet HKC standards, is expected to create a crunch for the industry, with a lack of capacity to meet demand. This will raise the cost of shipbreaking, and shipyards will need to make significant investments to upgrade their facilities. This is likely to result in attempts to cut corners or find loopholes, and union vigilance will be essential to ensure yards comply with safety and environmental standards.

Meeting participants discussed the safety record of the shipyards, and drafted plans to reduce accidents through an active union presence. They also mapped social security systems in the different countries, including old age, unemployment and illness cover, to identify gaps and make plans to ensure that workers get the best coverage possible.

The unions will focus on increasing density and using collective bargaining to improve conditions.

IndustriALL industry director Walton Pantland said:

“The greening of shipbreaking yards in South Asia is an an opportunity to put Just Transition principles into practice: taking dangerous and dirty jobs, and investing to turn them into safe, green jobs. There is also an opportunity to develop a significant downstream recycling industry. This will only succeed if unions are involved in the implementation process.
“The shipyards of South Asia, and their downstream recycling industry, can provide thousands of quality, green, unionized jobs.”

Workers in South Africa strike for living wages

According to Statistics South Africa, annual inflation reached a 13-year high at 7.8 per cent in July and the prices of food, electricity, fuels, and medicine have gone up. Average households need about R5000 (US$294) for food. Unions says the national minimum wage of R3500 (US$206) needs review, and that the government should introduce a basic income grant of R1500 (US$88) to reduce financial pressure on workers who look after unemployed family members.

Unions are concerned by the high unemployment levels at 34.4 per cent, while the extended rate that includes discouraged job seekers is 44.4 per cent. According to official figures, seven million people are unemployed.

The strike, in which civil society and community-based organizations participated, was organized by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), to which IndustriALL Global Union affiliates also belong.

A miner from the National Union of Mineworkers, who marches in Pretoria, said:

“The union movement is exercising the right to protest and calling upon the government to address socio-economic issues. We want this strike to make an impact so that workers’ demands are addressed, and action taken towards improving livelihoods for workers and their families.’’

“We are striking to defend our rights to living wages as we do not have enough money to pay for our daily expenses. Unemployment is high, and our wages are not enough to cover the basics. Through this strike we are hoping that the government will get the message and act on our grievances,’’

added a garment worker from the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU).

Paule France Ndessomin, IndustriALL regional secretary for Sub Saharan Africa, said:

“South African workers are feeling squeezed by the increasing cost of living, yet wages are not catching up. Hence unions are calling for above inflation increases to improve wages as seen in the recent wage negotiations in most industrial sectors. We support this strike and the continuation of social dialogue to create jobs and reduce the high unemployment, especially among young people.”

Unions in India protest changes in labour laws

The demonstrations were held ahead of a meeting with all of India’s labour ministers in the state of Andhra Pradesh, where Visakhapatnam is located. The meeting is to discuss the formulation and implementation of rules under the labour laws.

Since the new labour laws were announced, workers across India staged several demonstrations, opposing the government’s move to consolidate 44 labour laws into four labour codes. Trade unions view the changes in labour legislation as an attempt to undo the struggle of the workers’ movement that fought hard to win the rights that were enshrined in the earlier laws.

Sanjay Vadhavkar, executive committee member of IndustriALL and general secretary of Steel, Metal & Engineering Workers’ Federation of India (SMEFI), says:

“The current government has shown complete disregard for workers’ rights. The changes in the labour laws coupled with the increasing privatisation of public sector undertakings are going to exacerbate precarious employment and unsafe working conditions. We have no choice but to continue our struggle.”

In May, IndustriALL affiliates, SMEFI and the Indian National Steel, Metal, Metalmines and Engineering Employees’ Federation (INSMMEEF), staged a demonstration at the Vishakapatnam steel plant, opposing its privatization. An estimated 100,000 people who depend on the plant either directly or indirectly will be impacted by the privatisation.

ILO rules HICOM Malaysia violates freedom of association

In February 2016, HICOM dismissed 32 NUTEAIW members for attending a union briefing after working hours, outside of company premises. After mediation meetings at the industrial relations department, 27 union members were reinstated. However, the company refused to reinstate the remaining five local union leaders.

After exhausting all domestic court avenues, IndustriALL Global Union and the National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Industries Workers (NUTEAIW) filed a complaint at the ILO in May 2021, stressing that the Malaysian government had failed to remedy HICOM’s anti-union behaviour.

According to the ILO CFA’s definitive report No. 399, the acts of the employer amount to intimidation. The international body reminds the government that workers have the right to hold peaceful meetings, and the employer should not interfere in the union activities. ILO recommends the government to facilitate mediation to explore solutions, including the reinstatement of the union leaders.

NUTEAIW welcomes the ILO decision.

“We are ready to attend a meeting with the government and HICOM to facilitate the reinstatement of the five unionists. The automotive brands should intervene in this dispute as they are committed to international labour standards. The ILO ruling has made it clear that the unionists were exercising their rights after working hours; HICOM has no right to control workers’ personal time and activities,”

says N. Gopal Kishnam, NUTEAIW general secretary.

“IndustriALL calls on HICOM to accept the ILO ruling and reinstate the five union leaders. A further escalation of the conflict risk bringing disrepute to HICOM and the brands internationally,”

says Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.

Strengthening union power in Oman

The seminar focused on the right to collective bargaining through ILO standards, the role of trade unions in promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining, and communication and negotiation skills.

Ahmed bin Suhail Al-Ma’ashani, secretary of the sectorial federation of electricity sector, said:

“The training programme is very useful to unionists in the Sultanate as it enables the Sultanate’s unionists to gain various experiences."

Ishaq bin Juma Al Kharousi, GFOW vice president, said:

"This is the first visit by IndustriALL to the Sultanate, during which IndustriALL learned about our union work. We will develop this cooperation in order to strengthen union work in the sectors and develop the leadership skills of unions in the respective sectors."

Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL MENA regional secretary, said:

“GFOW is taking positive steps to develop sectoral work and encourage women's participation in union work."

Last year, IndustriALL and GFOW organized an online training for the sectorial federations on industry 4.0, the impact of Covid-19 and international labour standards.

Conference discusses feminist ideas on building union power in Africa

The issues discussed included how to develop a feminist trade union agenda, building alliances and networks with other feminists and civil society organizations, ending toxic hierarchies that block women’s participation, and abandoning patriarchy and gender oppression structures including unequal power relations.

Rose Omamo, IndustriALL vice president, said:

“Union work is not detached from the feminist fight for equality. Unions must build alliances with women’s rights organisations to challenge oppressive systems. Gender quality underpins many problems including the lack of adequate health care, education, decent work deficits, and promoting gender equality and social inclusion.”

The conference discussed how feminism can be used to promote social justice and sustainable development. These issues were identified as key to developing a network of gender champions at workplaces and in communities as part of a trade union transformative agenda. The conference stressed the ratification of International Labour Organization Convention 190 to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work. Storytelling sessions discussed experiences of sexual harassment at workplaces, body shaming, harmful cultural practices, and how these can be fought by trade unions.

Margaret Ndagile, from IndustriALL affiliate Tanzania Union of Industrial and Commercial Workers (TUICO) said:

“In the union, we usually talk of gender, but feminism promotes more action. However, we need more awareness and education at the factory level on how we can use feminist thinking in ways that include both genders.”

Neema Lugangira, a Tanzanian member of parliament, said the conference discussions were relevant to her work in championing for land rights for women, child support, and guaranteeing decent work in the oil and gas and mining sectors.

Bärbel Kofler, the German deputy minister for economic cooperation and development, and a trade unionist highlighted Germany’s feminist development policy, which focuses on rights, resources, and representation, and the importance of young women activism in fighting for workers’ rights. She was accompanied by Tina Rudolph and Dagmar Schmidt, both members of the German parliament, and Emilio Rossetti, head of political section EU delegation in Tanzania.

A feminist approach is one of the ways that unions can use for dealing with the violence of the patriarchy’s supremacy and impunity, which leads to gender-based violence and harassment, argued Patricia McFadden, an expert on feminism from Eswatini.

“The systems of gender oppression that are rooted in patriarchy must be rejected in homes and workplace,”

said Bashiratu Kamal, a gender and labour specialist from Ghana.

“The conference has been a valuable space to address the many ways that patriarchy works in the trade unions to maintain existing power structures. Feminism is a powerful tool to push for the needed transformative change in the labour movement,”

said Kathrin Meissner, director of the FES Trade Union Competence Centre (FES-TUCC) for Sub Saharan Africa.

About 30 participants from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Sub Saharan Africa, civil society organizations, and Members of parliament from Germany and Tanzania, attended the conference. The regional feminist conference drew participants from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The meeting was held with support from the FES TUCC, and the IndustriALL Sub Saharan Africa Regional Office.

Miners at Glencore Peru demand better working conditions

Members of the FNTMMSP, affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, staged a strike and a march to press the company, owned by multinational Glencore, to comply with the latest government decrees.

Decree DS-001-2002-TR establishes that companies should not outsource specialised activities, that is, those linked to the firm’s core business. Meanwhile, Decree DS-014-2022-TR amends the Regulation of the Law on Collective Labour Relations, based on changes in the articles referring to the right to unionise, union disputes, union registration, collective bargaining and other changes benefiting workers.

On 15 August, the workers met with officials from the Labour and Employment Promotion Ministry, and also requested a meeting with President Pedro Castillo Terrones, to raise their grievances with him.

The miners say that Los Quenuales is ignoring their demands and is even threatening them with a “perfect work suspension” (a mechanism that allows the employer to suspend payment of the employees’ monthly wages without breaking the employment relationship) and collective dismissals, although the workers are simply calling for compliance with the new rules set out in the latest decrees.

“We, the FNTMMSP, warn the government: we will not allow the mining business to abuse our rights. We say ‘no’ to perfect suspensions and collective dismissals in retaliation for demanding compliance with the law. (…) We hope that you will receive a delegation of mine workers, without delay, to address the issues that have, so far, been neglected,”

the federation said in a statement.

The union called for better working conditions, like an improvement in the quality of the food provided and compliance with occupational health and safety requirements in the mining camps.

IndustriALL’s regional secretary, Marino Vani, says:

“We hope the company will stop the threats and engage in negotiations in good faith, providing concrete proposals in response to the workers’ legitimate demands.
"We call on the state and the government to ensure dialogue prevails and that an agreement is reached to ensure compliance with the law, better working conditions and the resolution of the dispute. The workers and the mining federation have our full support.”

Unions and employers urge global brands to support Sri Lanka’s apparel industry

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka continues even though a new president, prime minister, and interim cabinet have been appointed. Depleted foreign exchange reserves have caused inflation to soar, rising by nearly 60 per cent in July alone. The high cost of living has worsened the situation for working people.

In a joint letter, the Sri Lankan affiliates of IndustriALL- Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), National Union of Metal and Migrant Workers in Sri Lanka (NUMMS), Sri Lanka Nidahas Sewaka Sangamaya (SLNSS), and Ceylon Industrial Workers Union (United Federation of Labour), and the apex body of garment industry bodies in Sri Lanka, the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), are urging global apparel brands to continue placing orders in Sri Lanka’s factories to keep the economy afloat.

Apparel manufacturing is a major source of foreign exchange for the country. Sri Lankan affiliates and JAAF express concerns that if brands stop or reduce orders due to fears over the crisis, the country’s economy may suffer further damage.

Apoorva Kaiwar, IndustriALL South Asia regional secretary, says:

“It's important that global brands extend their support to Sri Lanka’s apparel industry in this difficult time. They must ensure that workers in their supply chains don’t lose jobs owing to cancellation of orders.”

IndustriALL affiliates and the employers’ organisation assured brands of their cooperation in fulfilling the orders that are placed with manufacturers in Sri Lanka. They also emphasized their resolve to ensure good labour relations in the industry by referring to the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between employers and three affiliates of IndustriALL on Freedom of Association and a Bipartite Dispute Resolution mechanism.

Responding to the joint letter, Swedish fashion giant H&M stated that they are committed to maintaining ties with its sourcing company in Sri Lanka. In a separate communication, American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) assured the same.

Organizing success in COATS Morocco

IndustriALL has worked closely with FNTTCCL-UMT on union building and organizing for many years.

“The new union is considered a gain for the union movement and support for workers. It also reflects the progress made in the field of organizing support, which enables workers to gain more strength to defend their rights,”

says Ahmed Kamel, IndustriALL MENA regional secretary.

IndustriALL has set up a global COATS union network to organize and build strength to bargain collectively along the supply chain.

Alarbi Hammouk, general secretary of FNTTCCL-UMT, says:

“This is the result of a two and a half months organizing campaign within the framework of the joint FNTTCCL-UMT and IndustriALL programme in which we targeted organizing COATs workers in Morocco. We have submitted the necessary documents to the relevant authorities and officially notified the management. In addition, we sent a letter to the general manager of the company seeking cooperation and the launch of social dialogue. We are still waiting for the company's response.”

Unions fight soaring inflation with community kitchens

Since the beginning of 2022, Sri Lanka has been experiencing an unparalleled economic and political crisis. Depleted foreign exchange reserves have led to skyrocketing inflation, and a severe scarcity of essential commodities such as food, fuel and medicines.

Inflation soared over 60 per cent in the month of July, upending daily life. A garment worker who previously struggled to afford one nutritious meal a day on an average monthly wage of LKR26,000 (US$72) is now in a considerably far worse situation.

Unions have demanded that households with an income of less than LKR75,000 (US$208) should be able to buy fuel, kerosene, bread, wheat, rice, etc at January 2020 prices.

IndustriALL affiliates in Sri Lanka- Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU), National Union of Metal and Migrant Workers in Sri Lanka (NUMMS), and Ceylon Industrial Workers Union (United Federation of Labour), are organizing community kitchen programmes in the Free Trade Zones (FTZ).

Workers living in private boarding houses in Katunayake FTZ are pooling resources, along with financial support from unions, to collectively cook meals on weekends, either in the boarding houses or in unions’ offices. The majority of the workers are women from remote areas, either currently or formerly employed in garment manufacturing units in the FTZ.

“Workers in Sri Lanka are putting up a strong fight in the face of this unprecedented crisis in the country. We urge the government to resolve the issues immediately while taking into account the rightful demands put forth by the trade unions,”

says Anton Marcus, FTZGSEU general secretary.

In addition to the collective cooking initiative, FTZGSEU is using this opportunity to discuss workers’ rights issues and build solidarity among workers.

Swasthika Arulingam, deputy general secretary of Ceylon Industrial Workers Union (United Federation of Labour) says:

“Unions have to step in to fulfil the responsibility that the government has failed to take. We are attempting to address the fuel shortage situation through these community kitchens. There’s still a long way to go.”